The Arthur Highway (A9) is a
Tasmania
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, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
n highway which runs from
Sorell in the near south to
Port Arthur in the far south-east.
Route description
From its intersection with the
Tasman Highway
The Tasman Highway (or A3) is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. Like the Midland Highway, it connects the major cities of Hobart and Launceston – however it takes a different route, via the north-eastern and eastern coasts of the state. The ...
in Sorell the highway runs east, crossing Iron Creek before turning south-east to
Forcett
Forcett is a village in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies near the border with County Durham, on the B6274 road about 8 miles south of Staindrop. Nearby villages include Eppleby, Caldwell and Aldbrough.
Histo ...
. From there it continues in an easterly direction, crossing the Carlton River, to
Copping, where it turns south to
Dunalley. Here it crosses the
Denison Canal via a swing bridge to the
Forestier Peninsula
The Forestier Peninsula is a peninsula located in south-east Tasmania, Australia, approximately by the Arthur Highway, south-east of Hobart. The peninsula is connected to mainland Tasmania at East Bay Neck, near the town of at its norther ...
, before continuing south-east to
Eaglehawk Neck, the entry to the
Tasman Peninsula
The Tasman Peninsula, officially Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula, is a peninsula located in south-east Tasmania, Australia, approximately by the Arthur Highway, south-east of Hobart.
The Tasman Peninsula lies south and west of Forestier Peninsula ...
. After following the southern shore of Eaglehawk Bay to the west the highway turns south and continues in that direction to Port Arthur where it transitions to route B37 (Nubeena Road).
History
Port Arthur (the town) was named for
George Arthur
Sir George Arthur, 1st Baronet (21 June 1784 – 19 September 1854) was Lieutenant Governor of British Honduras from 1814 to 1822 and of Van Diemen's Land (present-day Tasmania) from 1823 to 1836. The campaign against Aboriginal Tasmani ...
, the lieutenant governor of
Van Diemen’s Land. It is likely that the name of the highway was derived from this source.
The first "proper" crossing of the Carlton River, near the line now followed by the highway, was opened in 1883. It consisted of multiple wooden bridges and causeways.
Work commenced on a concrete bridge, a replacement for all three wooden bridges on a slightly altered alignment, in 1944.
The Denison Canal opened in 1905 with a wooden, manually operated swing bridge. This was replaced by an electrically operated bridge in 1965.
[ ]
Major intersections
See also
*
Highways in Australia
Highways in Australia are generally high capacity roads managed by state and territory government agencies, though Australia's federal government contributes funding for important links between capital cities and major regional centres. Prio ...
*
List of highways in Tasmania
The Highways in Tasmania generally expand from Hobart and other major cities with secondary roads interconnecting the highways to each other. Functions of these highways include freight, personal travel and tourism.
The AusLink Network curr ...
References
{{Attached KML, display=title
Highways in Tasmania
South East Tasmania